Trust Comes from Love

The question is not whether God constantly loves His people, but "Why do people not trust God's unchanging love?"

What happens is this. Our doubt and unbelief shield out God's wonderful love. God's love is present, but because of our doubts we do not see His love and go without. Think how differently we would respond to different situations if we really trusted in the Lord's love! This is the reason for the former session. Our faith is not strong. We need to continually build up our faith through God's Word.

Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, Let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel. Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, "Since you have rejected this word, And have put your trust in oppression and guile, and have relied on them, ... "(Isaiah 30:11-12).

I am encouraging each one of us, whether we are panicky or not, to humble ourselves and note how much selfreliance and pride might exist in our lives. Can you sense that God wants to show His love to you but you have rejected it? We need a new revelation of God's love to break down our hardness and pride. Listen to these words from God.

Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him. (Isaiah 30:18)

Can we hear how much He longs to pour out His graciousness, but we hold Him and His love back. Only those who long for Him will gain those blessings. This is not the time to debate God's love. God is love.

 The issue is not whether God loves me.
 The issue is not whether God loves me only a little.
 The issue is not whether God loves me sometimes.
 The issue is not whether God loves me everywhere.

All the above statements are true for God's children. The key issue is to trust God's constant love and repent from the doubt and fear that rejects it. We might not feel His love. Do you know why? We shield it out. We worry it out. We fear it out. Like umbrellas they keep God's love drops from flooding our souls with His love.

Part of it the solution is admitting we do not have a way of handling it. This is difficult for those with college degrees but frankly, it is hard for all. This is the pride of life that the scriptures talk about it. We like to think we can handle life. But this is the shield of sin that keeps God's love rays from shining upon us.

As God melts the pride of our hearts with His love, He begins to show us how He wants to rebuild us. He has His plan. We need to put our trust in His plan for us.

Many Christians have not deeply experienced the love of God. For them it is a doctrine they believe. The scriptures say it is more than doctrine. God is love. When it comes down to it, they think His love was only applied at the cross and stopped there. They think this work is an impersonal general love, a duty of God. They just don't realize His love is real, powerful, changing and directed to us personally as God's children.

Maybe, Maybe Not

I am always hunting around for the cheapest gas stations. My wife hunts for the cheap food prices; I get the inexpensive gas. I remembered my daughter was going right next to a station with gas six cents cheaper than other places.

I told her to get gas for our car while she was out. I explained that the station had the cheapest gas. Besides, it was right across from where she was going. She said that she didn't remember any gas station near that house. I affirmed her it was there even though she protested she didn't remember seeing any gas station there.

Later, after she came home I asked how much I owed her and whether she found the station okay. Guess what she said. She said she didn't believe me that there was a station there so she got gas at another station before she got there - 6 cents higher than the one across from her destination!

This is an example how doubt steals the benefits of trusting God. We might not see it. We might not be convinced. We might not even like it! But if God so promises us and directs us, then we had better do what he directed us to do. Trusting in Him always leads to blessing even if it can't be seen right away.

Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him. (Isaiah 30:18)

Join with us as we close this session with one personal story of someone who did it right! Next page